Ballast car



1,627,891 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. A. FLANAGAN BALLAST CAR Filed May 11, 1925 May 10. 1927.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY A Fl ala y 1927' w, A, FLANAGAN BALLAST CAR Filed May 19 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR William A .F BY

v ATTORNEY W. A. FLANAGAN May 10 1927.

BALLAS T CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 11. 1925 I v INVENTOR L'Llicmj A-FLanQI/gaII I 7 BY ATTORNEY Patented May 10, 1927. i i I,

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE."

WILLIAM A. FLANAGAN, OF RIPON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN W. GARRISON, OF RIION, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-HALF TO WESTERN WHEELED SCRAPER COMPANY, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BALLAST CAR.

Application filed May 11, 1925. Serial No. 29,517.

This invention relates to improvements parts as will fully appear by a perusal of in ballast or dump cars of the stationary the following specification and claims. body, bottom-discharge type such as are used In the drawings similar characters of on railroads for dumping rock and gravel reference indicate corresponding parts in the 5 ballast onto the road bed. t al views:

One of the objects of my invention is to Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the car. provide a car of this general character whose Figs. 2 and 8 are cross-sections'on the discharge gates may be controlled either by line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the gates in hand or by power, the use of either means locked and fully" opened positions, respecll) being optional. The power I use is air, lively.

and the air actuated mechanism is of such Fig. t is a fragmentary .cross section on a character that the air may be cont-rolled the line +l-.-- lof Fig. 1, showing the gates and the mechanism operated by the same as initially unlocked by the operation of the kind of apparatus used in applying air power means.

15 brakes, and which may be controlled from. i Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section on the engine to which oneor any number of the line 55 of Fig. 1 showing a shaftthe cars are attached. V clutch operating lever.

In this manner the dumping ofan en'- Fig' 6 is a fragmentary top plan view tire train load of cars may be done at, a of the car frame showing a hand control single operation, by the engineer of the and clutch operating mechanism for one of train, and without the need of other helpers. the main gate controlling shafts.

A further object of the invention is to F'g. 7 is a fragmentary top plan View enprovide a car of this type having a number larged 0f the hand control mechanism. of discharge gates, connected to a single Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 power operating means in such a manner of Fig. 7.

that all or any number of the gates may Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of. a shaft be operated simultaneously. This'operation connection or clutch means. 1 may be carried out by hand also. Referring now more particularly to the By means of this arrangement only those characters of reference on the drawings,

30 gates on one side or the other of the car the frame of the car includes a-longitudinal may be operated, as may be necessary, or center beam 1 and side beams 2. The lateven only one gate on such side may be ter preferably terminate short of the ends 35 opened, it it is desired to only dump a porof the center beam, and have at their ends tion of the carload. This enables good contransverse beams 3, which connect the beams trol of dumping o-perationsto be had and 1 and 2 together to form a rigid structure, allows the contents of the cars to be dumped and which support the wheel trucks 4 of where most needed, without subsequent common character. The usual coupling and transferring of part of the load from one air hose connection neans (not shown) are side of the track to the other being necessary. mounted at the outer ends of the frame be- 40 Still another object is to arrange the gate yond the trucks,as is customary. The body control ineans'in such a manner that only of the car projects upwardly from and is a slight initial power or hand movement supported by the frame in any suitable manis necessary to cause the gates to'be unner, and is divided into two longitudinal locked. after which the weight of the load compartments by a central transverse partiitself will cause the gates to fully open. This tion 6. The sides of the body a certain conserves power and makes for easy and distance from the top converge to a longiquick operation. tudinal and centrally located apex at the The gates are so arranged that when bottom, and the opposite ends of the comcpened they form aprons or chutes for the partments similarly slope down to meet said material, and cause the latter to be dislongitudinal apex at points inwardly-of the charged clear of the tracks. plane of the wheel trucks.

These objects I accomplish by means of The greater portion of both sloping sides such structure and relative ar 'angement of of the compartments are in the form of gates 7 hinged along the longitudinal apex of the body as at 8. From the ends of the gates transverse side plates 9 project outwardly from the body, said plates having flanges 10 along their edges extending outwardly from the central hinge a downward slope, and serving as rests for the gates when the latter are fully opened.

The area of the plates relative to the gates and their positions relative to the body openings of said gates is such that the mate rial being discharged from the body is completely confined between said plates, and cannot spread laterally until entirely clear of the car. The width of the gates is such that when fully opened and resting on the flanges 1.0 their outer edges are then outwardly of the plane of the wheel trucks, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3.

The frame of the car also includes transverse beams 11 disposed below the beams 1 and 2 and between the trucks These beams are supported at their ends by rigid hanger members 12 depending from the beams 2.

These transverse beams 11 form end supports for longitudinally disposed and transversely spaced shaft members 13. Although these shafts are broken intermediate their ends and are connected by clutch means, as hereinafter seen, each shaft member when thus connected forms a rigid and practically unitary structure, and. will so be considered at present.

Rigidly fixed on each shaft, and projecting upwardly therefrom are arms 1 1, at least one for each gate and centrally located relative to the length of the gates. The upper ends of the arms are pivoted onto links 15 whose upper ends in turn are pivotally connected to the gates. These members form knuckle joint connections between the shaft and the gates, and are so arranged that when the gates are closed the arms and the links are past a dead center position, as shown in Fig. 2, and prevent the gates from opening until said linkage members are moved past dead center in the opposite direction.

The shafts 13 have each two pairs of longitudinally spaced and transversely alined cranks 16 therein, between each pair of which cranks rigid arms 17 extend, the cranks on each shaft being disposed at the same angle so that the arms are parallel to each other on the respective shafts.

The cranks on the different shafts are so disposed that when the arms are moved longitudinally of themselves or transversely of the car in one direction, the shafts 13 will be turned in opposite directions simultaneously, to simultaneously operate the gate connecting linkage in a manner to cause the gates to be opened or closed, as the case may be.

The power mechanism for thus moving the shafts is located between the adjacent eaver- 1 and centrally located side plates 9 and is constructed as follows:

Mounted between the arms 17 in horizontal and transverse alinement relative to the car is an air cylinder 18, having a piston 19, piston rod 20, and spring 21 acting to normally hold the piston at the rear end of the cylinder (see Figs. 2 and 4). This mechanism may be identical with that used to apply air brakes and consequently has included therewith the reservoir 22 and triple valve 23, such as are commonly used in connection with standard air brake apparatus. By the addition of the necessary piping and other standard features (not shown), my air mechanism may therefore be operated in the same manner as the brakes, that is from the engine or from each car individually.

Flexibly connected to the outer end of the piston rod is a link 2 1 to the outer end of which is pivoted an arm 25 having a longitudinal slot 26 adjacent its outer end, The pivotal connection between the link and the arm is in the form of a pin 2'? which extends longitudinally of the car or transversely of the arms 17 and across the same. Said pin at times, as hereinafter shown, arranged to seat in recesses 28 cut in the upper edges of the arms 17.

Normally however (when the piston is retracted in the cylinder and the gates are closed) this pin is ahead of the recesses and is then positioned to enter guides 29 extend.- ing away from the cylinder on an upward slope and pivoted onto the adjacent plates 9. Stop means 30 is employed for preventing downward movement of the guides without interfering with their upward movement about their pivot.

Fixed on the shaft 13 toward which the piston rod 20 faces is a crank 31 whose crank pin 32 passes through the slot 26. This crank is so disposed that when the piston rod is contracted and the gates closed, said. crank lies above the shaft at an outward slant such that its pin 32 is then at the outer end of the slot in the member 25, as shown in Fig. The crank 31 is also so disposed relative to the adjacent crank 16, that when said crank 32 rotates by the advancing movement of the piston rod outwardly of the cylinder, the arms 17 will. be moved in adirection opposite to the said piston rod.

In operation when the parts are in their normal or neutral position, as in 2, and it is desired to open the gates, air is applied to the cylinder 18 to cause the piston to be advanced. The piston travels without resistance except for that offered by the spring 21, until the inner or rear end. of the slot 26 engages the crank pin 32. This causes an initial rotation to be imparted to said crank and to the shafts 13, as shown in Fig. 1. This rotation, imparted to both shafts 13 through the connecting arms 17, causes the weasel linkage connected with the gates to be unlocked, and the Weight ofthe material inthe car will then bear on the gages and lower them independently of any air pressure.

During this movement of the parts the pin .27 is engaged by the guides 29, so that it is raised from the arms 17 and cannot enter the recesses therein.

As soon as the initial rotative effect has been-imparted to the shafts as above stated, the air may be released, and the piston rod will return to its normal or retracted position in the cylinder by reason of the spring The rod 27 will then leave the guides, and the arms 1? move back withthe rotation of the shafts with the full opening movement of the gates, the recesses 28 in said arms will aline vertically with the pin 27. The latter will then drop into said recesses as shown in Fig. owing to the link 2% on which said pin is mounted being freely hung. I

Now when it is desired to close the gates the air is again applied to the cylinder, and the arms will be moved in a direction opposite totheir gate opening movement,

'due to the. engagement of the pin 27 therethe full stroke of the piston rod has been had, the gates will be restored to a fully closed position and the linkage connections moved'past a dcadcenwith, until, when te-r position as shown in Fig. 2.

The pin 27 is then still engaged with the recesses and is beyond the lower ends of the guides 29. Since, however, said guides are free to lift, with the release of the and the return of the piston rod and pin to their normal positions. said pin merely passes under and raises the guides until it clears the same and resumes its normal. setting relative thereto. It is then ready to again enter the guides when another door opening operation to be carried out.

The opening and closing operationsof the gates is therefore controlled in a very simple manner merely by two air applying and releasing operations in connection with an ordinary air brake cylinder or similar type of apparatus.

Owing to the gates being pivoted in common along the bottom of the body, when said gates are open, all material in the body must iiositively leave the same, as no pockets are formed which would necessitate the use of a shovel or other means to aid in the discharging of the'contents of the car.

:lesides the end supports 11 for the shafts 13. intermediate supports 33 are provided which extend thereto from the central beam 1. these supports being located adjacent the arms 14 so as to prevent the same from being deflected. when under load.

If the shafts 13 were rigid throughout,

extends transversely all gates would per-force be opened when the air was applied. I have therefore provided means controllable at will for enabling any of the gates to be maintained closed if desired.

To accomplish this I split each shaft 13 between each of the arms Li and the adjacent crank 16, and place independent hand operated clutch means therebetween. This clutch structure may be of any suitable type. In the present instance I have shown the adjacent ends of each shaft- 13 as having polygonal sided portions, with a sleeve 34 slidable over such portions and free to clear one of the shaft ends. It will therefore be seen that when the sleeve is'over both shaft sections, the shaft will then turn as one. If, however, the sleeve is moved clear of a sectiointhat portion of the shaft to which the corresponding arm 14 is con nected will have no movement imparted thereto with the rotation of the other portion of the shaft, and the corresponding ate will, consequently remain closed.

To facilitate control of the sleeves, 1' provide an operating lever 35 for each one, extending thence toward the side of the car, the outer end of said lever being slid-able in a guide 36 mounted on a longitudinal sup port 37 which extends between the lower ends of the hangers 12.

In addition to the power operating means I provide hand control means for rotating the shafts 13. Such means, for each end of each shaft, comprises a bevel gear 38 on the outer end of the shaft meshing with a bevel pinion 39 on a shaft 40. This shaft to the corresponding hand wheel ll side of the car and carries a on its outer end.

T onorinally prevent rotation of the shaft l0 in that direction which would allow the corresponding gate to open, I provide a shrouded ratchet wheel. on the shaft 40.

This wheel is engaged by a pawl 43 mounted on a bracket M in which the shaft it) is slidably mounted for limited longitudinal movement. The pawl is fixed against longitudinal displacement and when engaged with the ratchet is disposed between the shrouds thereof. The shaft is then held against longitudinal movement. the position of the shaft being then such that the pinion and gear are in mesh. This is the position occupied. by the parts when it is desired to operate any gate by hand. In this case the corresponding clutch sleeve 3-1: is disengaget to enable that portion of the shaft 13 to which the hand wheel and corresponding control arm 1% are connected to turn without imparting any movement to the air operated appa 'atus.

If the gates are to be operated by air, however. the pawl is lifted from the ratchet "so as to clear the shrouds and the shaft at) ill) inc

iii

is drawn outwardly so as to disengage the pinion and gear. The pawl is then allowed to drop back on the outside of the ratchet wheel. in which position said pawl acts as a stop preventing rctractive movement of the suailt il-0.

In the event that a separate air control valve on the engine, and an individual air line system for my air operated means, is not available or desired, a hand controlled branch line, tapping the main air brake line at each. end of the car, may be employed. In this case the air operated mechanism may be controlled by the ordinary engineers brake valve.

While I have specifically shown and described this structure as being a railroad car, at the same time it could be mounted on a motor truck chassis. In this case an air connnessor and a reservoir would be provided on the truck to be operated by the engine thereof, so as to provide the necessary air power for operating my device.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that l have produced. such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as del'ined by the appended chili Having thus described my invention what I claim as ue and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ballast car including a body, downwardly opening gates hinged along the bottom 01 the body, a power operated mechanism common to all the gates for operating the same, and individual hand controlled means for each gate in addition to the power mechanism, for operating the gates.

22. A ballast car including a body, dowir wardiy opening gates hinged along the bottom of the body, a power oi ierated mechanism common to all the gates for perating the same, individual hand controlled means for each gate for operating the same, means whereby when the hand controlled means is in operation the power mechanism will not be disturbed, and means whereby when the power mechanism is in ol icration the hand means will not be disturbed.

3. A ballast car including a body, a downwardly opci'iing gate hinged along the bottom of the body, a shatt member disgosed longitudinally of the car under the gates, linkage between the shaft and gate. arranged to cause the gate to be opened and closci'l with the rotatioi'i oi? the shaft in opposile directions, power means applied to the shaft for thus rotating the same, hand means for independently rotating the shaft, and means for disconnecting the shaft from the power means when the hand means is in use.

l. A ballast car including a body, a downwardly opening gate hinged along the bottom of the body, a shaft member disposed longitndinally ot' the car under the gates, linkage between the shaft and gate arranged to cause the gate to be opened and closed with the rotation of the shalt in opposite directions,power means applied to the shaft for thus rotating the same, and means for disconnecting the shaft adjacent the linkage from driving relation with the power means, whereby said linkage will not then be moved with the operation of the power means.

5. A ballast car in hiding a body, a down wardly opening gate hinged along the bottom of the body, a shaft member disposed longitudinally of the car under the gates, linkage between the shaft and gate arranged to cause the gate to be opened and closed with the rotation of the shaft in opposite directions, power means applied to the shaft on one side oi? the linkage for thus rotating the shaft, hand operated means applied to the shaft on the opposite side of the linkage tor likewise rotating the shaft, and hand coi'ilrolled clutch means .in the shaft between the power means and the linkage.

3. ll. ballast car including g' a body, a do vnwardly opening gate hinged along the bottom ol the body, a shaft membedisposed longitudinally of the car under the gates, iii go between the shaft and gate arranged to cause the gate to be opened and closed with the rotation of the shaft in opposite directions, power means applied to the shaft on one side of the link-i re 'lor thus rotating the shaft, hand operate. means applied to the shaft on the ()ppUsii'O side of the linkage :l'or likewise rotating the shaft, hand controlled clutch means in the shaft between the power means and the lhldrge, and independent means for disconnecting the hand operated means from driving relation with the correspomling portion of the shaft.

7. A. ballast car including a body, a downwardly opening gate hinged along the bottom oi the body, a shaft member disposed longitudinally o'l the car under the gates, linkage beta '11 the shaft and gate arranged to cause the gate to be opened and closed with the rotation of the shaft .in opposite directions, power operated means for thus rotating the shaft, said means including a rod moved longitudinally upon the application of the power, means whereby a movement of said rod in one direction will cause the shaft to be rotated in one direction, and means whereby a recurring movement of said rod in the same direction will cause the shaft to be rotated in the opposite direction.

8. Jr ballast car including a body, a down wardly opening gate hinged along the bottom of the body, a shaft member disposed Ill) lill) longitudinally of the car under the gates, linkage between the shaft and gate arranged to cause the gate to be opened and closed with the rotation of the shaft in opposite directions, power operated means for thus rotating the shaft, said means including a rod moved longitudinally upon the application of the power, means whereby a movement of said rod in one direction will cause the shaft to be rotated in one direction, means acting automatically to retract the rod to its normal position. when the power application is discontinued, and means whereby a further power application on the rod to move it in the same direction as with the first power application will cause the shaft to be rotated in the opposite directlon.

9. A ballast car including a body, a clownwardly opening gate mounted thereon, a shaft disposed longitudinally of the car mounted under the gate, an arm fixed on and projecting upwardly from the shaft, a link pivotally connected to the upper end of the arm and to the gate, said link and arm being so arranged that when moved past a dead center position in one position they will be locked against movement, the gate being then closed; and power means for rotating said shaft sufficiently to cause said arm and link to be moved past dead center in the opposite direction, whereby a load on the gate will then cause the same to be opened regardless of a continued operation of the power means.

10. A ballast carincluding a body, clownwardly opening gates on opposite sides of the same, shafts disposed longitudinally of the car mounted under the gates, connections between the shafts and gates arranged to cause the gates to be opened and closed with a rotation of the shafts in opposite directions, cranks on the shafts, an arm extending between the cranks, a'power means including a horizontal disposed rod extend ing lengthwise of and adjacent said arm,- said rod being arranged for power movement lengthwise of itself, toward one of the shafts, a crank on said shaft, a. connection between said rod and the last named crank, said different cranks being so arranged that when the gates are closed and the last named crank is initially moved by a movement of the rod the arm will move in the opposite direction, means whereby when said initial turning movement is imparted to the crank the doors will then automatically open to their lowest limit, means for enabling said rod to return to its normal position, and meanswhereby the rod will then be engaged in driving relation with the arm, whereby upon a further application of power on the rod the arm and rod will move together and in the same direction to reverse the direction of rotation of the shafts.

11. A ballast car including a body, clownwardly opening gates on opposite sides of the same, shafts disposed longitudinally of the car mounted under the gates, connections between the shafts and gates arranged to cause the gates to be opened and closed with a rotation of the shafts in opposite directions, cranks on the shafts, an arm extending bet-ween the cranks, a power means including a horizontal disposed rod extending lengthwise of and adjacent said arm, said rod being arranged for power movement lengthwise of itself, toward one of the shafts, a crank on said shaft, a link connected to the rod, an arm connected to the link and having a slot through which the pin of the last named crank passes; a pin forming the pivot of the link and arm extending transversely across the other arm, said other arm having a recess in its upper arm to receive the pin, means preventing the seating of the pin in the recess when the last named crank is engaged by the slotted arm to cause the shafts to turn in a door opening direction; said cranks being so arranged that the arm extending between the shafts then moves in a direction opposite to that of the rod, and means whereby after a door opening rotation of the shafts has taken place the rod may return to its original position without imparting movement to the shafts; the pin and recess being then vertically alined so that the pin may seat therein; whereby upon ,another application of power to the rod said recessed arm will be moved in the same direction.

12. A ballast car downwardly opening gate hinged along the bottom of the body, and power means for opening and closing the gate, said means including a member moved upon the application of the power, means controlled by the movement of said member in one direction for causing the gate to be opened, and means causing the gate to be closed with a recurring movement of said member in the same direction.

13. A ballast car downwardly opening including a body, a gate hinged along the bottom of the. body, and power means for opening and closing the gate, said means including a member moved upon the application of the power, means controlled by the movement of said member in one direction from aneutral position for causing the gate to be opened, means then acting automatically'to restore said member to its neutral.

position, andmeans causing the gate to be closed with a recurring movement of the member in the same direction.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

\VILLIAM A. FLANAGAN.

by the action of the rod and including a body, a 

